The Curse of Conquerors Past, Part V

...To prove his point he even opened his shirt, laid bare his sternum so our blades could stab, but we were all frozen by what we’d heard, the worlds just sounded so utterly mad. He believed he was possessed by Genghis Khan? And that the ghost had trapped him in his brain? That the Khan had committed all his great crimes… I’d never heard something quite so insane. But when your enemy gives you a chance you’d be a fool if you don’t do your part, my Navy S.E.A.L. friend stalked to Williamson and drove his K-bar through the tyrant’s heart. Williamson didn’t even more to stop him, he gurgled blood, then he whispered,”Thank you…” He collapsed with a smile on his face, I say it was quite unnerving to view. And then came something I cannot explain, a loud, shrill scream, both piercing and malign, but there was no sound our ears could pick up, this banshee wail was within our own minds! It takes a lot to scare Special Forces types, but what we heard that night chilled to the core, it felt as if something tried to get in, then it just vanished, the scream was no more. We looked at each other, white-faced with shock, so confused about what was going on, shakily I said,”We did what we came for, I think it’s high time we make ourselves gone.” We escaped much the same way we came in, none suspected something was out of place, we left the city before they found him, they raised a cry, but it was far too late. It’s been twenty years since that crazy night, we’ve kept quiet, only us three knowing. The horde splinted, fought some harsh civil wars, but more would’ve died if the khan kept going. The nations rose up, asserted themselves, all fought until a status quo was reached, they said Khan Williamson drank himself to death, at least that is what all the schools now teach. And I still find myself haunted by it, I head that scream in recurring nightmares, most just dismiss it as PTSD, then try to show me extra love and care. Can I tell them I’m starting to believe all the crazy things Williamson spoke? No, I cannot, they would lock me away if I blamed it all of Genghis Khan’s ghost. But if it was true, then I must accept that to win we murdered a decent man, and I’m haunted by the thought that we might have loosed the Khan’s ghost to wander the land. It doesn’t help that I saw on the news a story that gave my soul a cold chill, they’re opening the Chin emperor’s tomb, a man who was never lacking for will…